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About one week ago, I had the opportunity to spend some time on a farm in NW Kansas for wheat harvest. The wheat looked beautiful when I arrived glistening in the sun, truly like amber waves of grain. And as the markets attempted to gain strength over the past several weeks the storms and hail rolled into the Plains when I arrived and took the crops. Storms never cease to amaze me with how quickly they move through causing immense amounts of damages to everything in their path.

Rolling wheat field as clouds form in the Plains.

It is so hard to watch the towns go from buzzing with excitement over the beautiful fields to an eerie silence knowing their hard work is being washed away. You can see it in the custom cutting crews that have a chance to get groceries, do laundry and sit down for a meal to the stark look on the farmer’s faces. And the unmistakable moment when someone asks a farmer, “How is the harvest this year?” and they respond with a forced half-smile saying, “Not so good.”

Even through the inevitable struggles that the weather brings, there is always still a glimmer of hope. The radio stations play updates and commercials have reminders of harvest and upcoming festivities after harvest. While the farmers and harvesters press on to make the best out of what is still left.